GREAT insights Magazine

Talking Points Blog highlights

Great Insights, Volume 6, Issue 1 (February/March 2017)

February 2017

Did the 28th African Union Summit meet its hype and hope?Talking Points, Philomena Apiko, Luckystar Miyandazi, and Faten Aggad, 3 February 2017The 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) was held on 30-31 January in Addis Ababa. The theme was “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in the Youth”. This year’s summit was particularly awaited. African leaders were to reach important decisions regarding hotly-contested topics such as the election of the new chairperson of the AU Commission (AUC) as well as of other core officials, and the consideration for readmission of Morocco to the AU.

Tunisia’s new law: another step towards local democracyTalking Points, Tasnim Abderrahim, 3 February 2017.
This week, Tunisia’s national assembly passed the long-awaited law on elections and referenda, a step that has elicited mixed reactions. The new law, which completes and amends the basic law on elections adopted in 2014, will govern all types of elections and referenda, from parliamentary to presidential, from regional to municipal. Setting a unified law seeks to prevent potential confusion among voters regarding the conduct of elections and avoid any inconsistencies between separate laws. It is yet to been seen whether this proposal will pass the constitutional review.

Taking steps ahead: Towards a new vision for migration in 2017Talking Points, Anna Knoll, 20 January 2017
The issue of migration will continue to be pivotal in 2017. ECDPM’s Anna Knoll explains why the European Union should adopt long-term thinking towards the issue of migration and wishes 2017 to be the year when this shift will start its course.